Surrey: Title ambitions threatened by Test match calls (8 April 1998)

8 April 1998

Surrey: Title ambitions threatened by Test match calls

By D J Rutnagur

TEN of Surrey's staff of 19 have played Test matches, one-day internationals or both, and Alex Tudor, for long regarded as an England fast bowler in the making, has plentiful experience of international cricket at under-19 level.

Wealth, however, inevitably has its attendant problems and Surrey, once the international programme gets under way, will not have a settled side, nor will their captain, Adam Hollioake, be in permanent command. That is no small handicap.

As fixtures in the Benson & Hedges Cup - which Surrey hold - and the NatWest Trophy are kept clear of international matches, they must be contenders for these limited-overs competitions.

But the County Championship, which they have won only in 1971 since their historic run of seven in the Fifties, could again fall out of their reach.

Surrey can, for certain, expect to be without the two strongest pillars of their batting, Alec Stewart and Graham Thorpe, and two all-rounders in the brothers Hollioake, for the match against Somerset, which overlaps the series of three one-day internationals.

This year is again one of six Tests, for which England will certainly call on Stewart and Thorpe and perhaps Mark Butcher and either or both of the Hollioakes.

Butcher's absence would compound the disadvantage Surrey already have of being without Darren Bicknell, their other regular opening batsman. Bicknell had an operation in mid-February for the repair of two stress fractures in the back and he may be out for the season. At best, he will become available towards the end of July.

The good news is that Thorpe's back injury, which interrupted his West Indies tour, is not serious. Surrey's physiotherapist, Dale Naylor, is sure Thorpe will be fit for the county's opening match on Friday week.

If Surrey are weaker than last season it is because Chris Lewis has returned to Leicestershire. Lewis's championship record in his two summers at the Oval was not sensational but he played a big part in the winning of the Sunday League in 1996 and had some influence in their capture last year of the Benson & Hedges Cup.

His departure opens a larger area of the stage for Ben Hollioake to perform. Judging by his exploits on the England A tour, he is ready to become a major force in the team.

Besides enhancing his batting skills in Sri Lanka, Hollioake bowled at some speed. This is good news for Surrey, for their strength in pace bowling was not evenly spread last season. Martin Bicknell and Lewis were successful but Joey Benjamin showed signs of his age, 37.

Tudor was not always fit and lacked a cutting edge. He is 20 and if he is to fulfil his promise and become an established member of Surrey's attack, he should be sending out stronger signals this season.

Where spin is concerned, Surrey are well endowed. They have a spinner of each variety, including Saqlain Mushtaq, the best off-spinner any country has produced for a long time. Ian Salisbury should be a bigger force that in his first season with the club, which was interrupted by injury.

Salisbury spent the winter in Australia, playing as an amateur for the University of New South Wales. He watched Shane Warne in the Sydney Test mesmerising the South Africans and talked to some great exponents and teachers of leg-spin, Richie Benaud, Terry Jenner and Peter Philpott.

It is unthinkable that Surrey would play a third spinner in the same side but they have in reserve Rupert Amin, left-arm orthodox, a fast-learning apprentice last season.

Until Darren Bicknell is ready to return, Jason Ratcliffe will most likely start the season as Butcher's opening partner. The middle order is awesomely strong, with Alistair Brown providing so much firepower.

Theoretically, Surrey should never be short of runs. But it was not until their sixth match last year that they managed to score more than 300, which explains a wait until the last week of June for their first win and their position of eighth in the final table which, for a side containing so much talent, could be deemed unsatisfactory.

If Surrey are to challenge for the championship, they must make a good start to the season and build up a bank of points before they begin to answer England calls.

When Surrey won their last championship, their captain was Micky Stewart. This year, he is the club's president. That could be a happy omen.

It is tempting to say that dad being the president will be a spur to Alec - but Stewart junior hardly needs one. Loyalty and pride of performance are enough for him to do his best.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)